Middletown Rotary Club bestows awards, scholarships

Shapiro, Santaniello, Director designated Paul Harris Fellows

From left are Erin Smith, recipient of the Middletown Rotary Scholarship, and Katherine Connelly,who received the Arthur and Edythe Director Family Rotary Education Award.

From left are Erin Smith, recipient of the Middletown Rotary Scholarship, and Katherine Connelly,who received the Arthur and Edythe Director Family Rotary Education Award.

Photo: Courtesy Photo

Photo: Courtesy Photo

Image
1of/4

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 4

From left are Erin Smith, recipient of the Middletown Rotary Scholarship, and Katherine Connelly,who received the Arthur and Edythe Director Family Rotary Education Award.

From left are Erin Smith, recipient of the Middletown Rotary Scholarship, and Katherine Connelly,who received the Arthur and Edythe Director Family Rotary Education Award.

Photo: Courtesy Photo

Middletown Rotary Club bestows awards, scholarships

1 / 4

Back to Gallery

MIDDLETOWN >> The Middletown Rotary Club held its 2015 awards ceremony at The Elks Club in Middletown on May 20, at which the Paul Harris Community Service Fellowship Awards, Rotarian of the Year, Mort Briggs and scholarship awards were presented.

The recognition was created in memory of the club’s founder as a way to show appreciation for contributions to the foundation’s charitable and educational programs.

Fellows are advocates of the goals of world peace and international understanding, according to a press release.

The Paul Harris Fellow is presented to community members and Rotarians who have made a significant contribution in the community. A certificate and pin are given to the awardee as well as $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation in the recipient’s name.

The foundation’s mission is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty, according to a statement.

Shapiro, a 40-year-resident of Middletown and partner at Shapiro Law Offices, is executive director of the Middlesex County Historical Society, where she had served in a numerous capacities since 1978.

She has volunteered for boards including the UConn Extension Council, Russell Library, the Middlesex United Way’s Central Allocation Committee,and Godfrey Library, and served as chairwoman of the Building Committee of Farm Hill School from 1988-1990.

Shapiro was an 18-year member of the Junior Woman’s Club of Middletown, and was named Distinguished Citizen by the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce in 2011.

Santaniello, a U.S. Navy veteran and resident of Cromwell, is a long-time Director of Operations for the Wireless Zone in Cromwell, and is also known for his service in and around Middletown.

He mentors at Macdonough Elementary School, serves on the board of directors and working on projects for the Middlesex United Way Young Leaders Society, is on the board of directors of St. Luke’s Community Services and voluteers for MARC Community Resources and Middletown High School Project Graduation.

Founder of Connecticut Lighting Centers in Hartford and a 56-year member of the Middletown Rotary Club, Director, of Cromwell, has established eight funds at the Community Foundation of Middlesex County, and has been involved with the Middlesex United Way, Middlesex Chamber of Commerce, and Middletown Little League.

He helped found Connecticut’s first chapter of Big Brothers/Big Sisters, where for 20 years he served as vice president for the Northern Middlesex County chapter.

Pat Tucker was chosen to receive the Mort Briggs Award, presented in recognition of an individual who has demonstrated outstanding service.

A 15-year member of Middletown Rotary, she has served as secretary on the board of directors since 2004, was Rotarian of the Year in 2008, and is a Paul Harris Fellow.

Over the past 13 years, she’s volunteered for One Book, One Middletown and was instrumental in coordinating the start of this community literacy project back in 2003, a release states.

Lois Muraro was recognized as the Rotarian of the Year, awarded to a member that has demonstrated outstanding service in one or more of the Five Avenues of Service.

Muraro has been an active member of the Middletown Rotary Club for 20 years, is a three-time Paul Harris Fellow, and was the first female president of the club. She has served committees including International Service, the Rotary Scholarship Trust, and is chair of the Literacy Committee where she organized the newly established Andy & Elmer’s Reading Project.

The Middletown Rotary Scholarship Award was presented to Erin Smith, a senior at Coginchaug Regional High School in Durham. It’s given to local graduating seniors who reflect Rotary’s motto of Service Above Self. Smith plans to attend Gordon College in the fall and major in special education.

A member of National Honor Society, she received the Superintendent’s Award, Two Science NHS Book Awards, and the Youth Service Award through Civitan International, has been active with The Hartford Project and also volunteers at Camp Nerden for people with special needs.

She has raised $9,500 going door to door in her town to improve the pool at Camp Nerden.

Katherine Connelly, a senior at Middletown High School, received the Arthur and Edythe Director Family Rotary Education Award, established to benefit the youth of northern Middlesex County. Connelly plans to attend Bryant University and study marketing.

She credits her involvement in Distributive Education Clubs of America for helping her find her place at school and fueling a passion for business, a press release says. She performs in choir and theater, and volunteers as a camp counselor with Middletown Children’s Theater, raises money and awareness for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America and plans to launch a blog to provide virtual support group for patients with the disease.

Members of the Rotary Club of Middletown are those who live and/or work in Middletown as well Cromwell, Portland, Durham, Middlefield and Higganum.